Synod releases final reports on selection of bishops, emerging issues

By Antonella Palermo

The Final Reports of Study Groups No. 7 & 9 reaffirm that discernment lies at the heart of selecting a bishop, while adopting specific theological criteria to discern how to address the most difficult questions facing the Church, according to Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops.

As reflection continues on the judicial function of the bishop, ad limina apostolorum visits, and the formation of bishops, the preliminary part of the Final Report on the criteria for selecting bishops has been released.

The report reaffirms the underlying premise that there is no shepherd without a flock, and no flock without a shepherd.

The synodal competencies identified by Study Group No. 7 for candidates include the ability to build communion, engage in dialogue, possess deep knowledge of local cultures, and show a willingness to integrate into them constructively.

The group calls for Apostolic Nuncios to have “a synodal and missionary profile,” so that he may also look for this profile in those proposed as possible bishops.

The report states that every diocese should periodically carry out processes of discernment regarding its situation and needs, verifying whether those processes meet the standards of a synodal and missionary Church, in order to promote the sharing of best practices.

“As an episcopal succession approaches, the Bishop is to convene the Presbyteral Council and the Diocesan Pastoral Council, whose members express, in a collegial manner, an opinion on the needs of the diocese and submit to the Bishop – in a sealed envelope – the names of priests they consider suitable for the episcopate,” it says. “Where possible, consultation is also to include the Cathedral Chapter, the Finance Council, the Lay Council, and representatives of consecrated persons, young people and the poor.”

Involvement of consecrated persons and laypeople in consultations

The Study Group encourages what it describes as “a formative investment,” aimed at helping all members of the People of God sharpen their capacity for discernment.

It proposes creating dedicated teams to assist the bishop in the ongoing formation of the clergy.

In cases where a local see is vacant, the group suggests that a committee be established in the diocese, which the Nuncio may consult in order to clarify the state of the diocese, the profile of the new shepherd, and possible candidates.

The Group recommends that consultations involve not only clerics, but also, as far as possible, an equivalent number of consecrated men and women, laymen and laywomen. The aim, it explains, is to bring out the truth as fully as possible.

The Report also asks the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia to review their procedures in a more synodal direction and proposes periodic forms of independent evaluation of selection processes.

Linguistic and methodological paradigm shift

The Final Report of Study Group No. 9 draws on the biblical image found in chapters 10–15 of the Acts of the Apostles, which shows how cultural diversity can be valued without betraying the newness of the Gospel.

It proposes a change of paradigm in the way the Church addresses the most difficult doctrinal, pastoral, and ethical questions.

First, the report prefers the adjective “emerging” rather than “controversial” to describe these questions.

The statement explains that “the aim is not merely to resolve problems but to build the common good through relational conversion, shared learning and transparency.”

In addition, since there can be no proclamation of the Gospel without taking responsibility for the interlocutor, “in whom the Spirit is already at work,” the document introduces the “principle of pastorality.”

The report identifies three methodological steps for addressing these questions: listening to ourselves, listening to reality, and convening different forms of knowledge.

Conversation in the Spirit, it recalls, remains the privileged tool for developing an ecclesial culture of synodality.

Concrete testimonies as basis for discernment

The report calls for these guidelines to be applied concretely to the experience of homosexual Catholics and the practice of active nonviolence.

With regard to forms of nonviolence in particular, the group was guided by the testimony of a movement of young Serbs who contributed to the peaceful fall of Milošević, drawing inspiration from the Christians of the early Church.

In both cases, testimony serves as the starting point for paths of ethical and theological discernment, as well as for open questions, so that every community may take up “the responsibility of recognising and promoting the good through which God acts in history and in people’s experience.”